1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck bed covers. More specifically, the invention is a combination tool box and roll top tonneau cover for pickup truck cargo beds.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous types of truck bed covers are commonly used over the utility bed portion of a pickup truck to protect the bed including cargo items disposed therein. Conventional coverings such as those made from cloth, canvas, vinyl or similar fabrics are known in the industry to provide limited and inexpensive protection. However, material degradation has been the major disadvantage of these types of coverings. Over time, the repair and replacement history for the cloth type coverings become costly. Another disadvantage in the cloth type coverings is they typically serve only to conceal cargo items beneath the cover. Such limited security may be defeated by simply releasing or cutting the fabric.
Other apparent disadvantages of the cloth type truck covers include shrinkage, fading, and etc. to name a few. Fiberglass and metal enclosures are also used which typically provide a raised roof over the truck bed. However, such an enclosure limits the use of the truck to items that will fit within the enclosure only. This arrangement leaves only access to areas of the bed via the tailgate area which is inconvenient for many applications. The toolbox with built in tonneau as described herein provides an improved tonneau which is weather resistant and/or impervious to moisture and laden effects of rust and corrosion. Unlike conventional roll type covers, the combination toolbox and tonneau provides compact and flexible interconnected slats having a unique structural composition which reduce dynamic vibratory noise or rattling prevalent with hinged and similarly connected slats extensively used in the prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,377 issued to Alexander discloses a tonneau cover apparatus for pickup trucks which includes an elongated track secured to the sides of a pickup. Ribs or cross members are used between the tracks which extend across the bed of the pickup and secured to bearing guides movable on each track. A tonneau cover made of vinyl is attached to the front end of the truck bed and extends towards the tailgate along the length or longitudinally with respect to the pickup truck on the pair of tracks secured to the walls of the pickup bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,848 issued to Romano discloses an improved sliding cover assembly for converting the open body of a truck, or the like, to a closed body. The assembly comprises an articulated-type cover slidably mounted within a pair of parallel tracks having a C-shaped cross-section. The cover includes a plurality of rectangular panels successively disposed adjacent to one another and extending across the open body. Each panel includes a first semi-cylindrical edge portion and a second, semi-cylindrical edge portion having a radius larger than the radius of the first edge portion. The first edge portion is concentric with, and, rotatably received by the second edge portion of the adjacent panel. A plurality of such panels are arranged to extend the length of the cargo bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,427 issued to Burgess discloses a roller type enclosure assembly for open bed trucks wherein the enclosure is mounted as a spring loaded mechanism which provides tension within a series of interconnected slats. A "stowage" box houses the interconnected slats in a coiled configuration via a spring loaded cable and pulley assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,099 issued to Mount discloses a similar truck bed cover device, however, the cover involves a complex gear system or sprocket for moving the cover from an extended and retracted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,206 issued to Adams discloses a truck bed cover system which utilizes a roll type cover driven by a system of gears and pulleys for moving the cover in both a retracted and extended position. The cover is comprised of a series of interconnected slats which form a substantially saw-tooth configuration for engaging a saw-tooth gear driver to provide the necessary traction for extending and retracting the cover. U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,843 issued to Russel et al. discloses a similar roll type bed cover having a complex drive mechanism for extending and retracting the cover. The system is mounted to provide a clearance for inserting an optional toolbox.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,921 issued to Champie, III et al. discloses a sliding cover assembly which is mounted on the top edge of the side walls of the cargo bed and includes a plurality of longitudinal, arcuate parallel-disposed slats. Each slat is rotatably interconnected with an adjacent slat which slides on a low friction surface within a set of guide rails attached to the side walls of the cargo bed. A lock-plate for securing the cover to the bed is also disposed on the leading edge of the sliding cover co-planar therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,850 issued to Brim discloses an indented bed-liner having a motor housing and connecting rod assembly for activating and transmitting a cover connected thereto in a forward and reverse direction. The motor housing is provided with an opening which faces in the direction of the tailgate. The opening is planar with first and second indents for directing the cover through the opening. As the guide rod is urged forward the cover unwinds from a rotating rod and extends through the opening in the motor housing. The rotary motor which directs the cover in both forward and reverse directions is activated via a push button switch mounted within the cab or a panel of a truck.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,251,950 and 5,350,213 issued to Bernado disclose a rolling cover with guide track clamps, and an apparatus for positioning, latching and locking a retractable bed cover, respectively. Other conventional cover type features for trucks are disclosed in Great Britain Patents (GB 2,027,646 and GB 2,268,718). In particular, the Great Britain Patent issued to Pavlou discloses a canopy styled flexible cover for heavy duty transport vehicles which transports gravel, sand and building materials.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.